improve loading time or show loading progress for iOS app?

Ok I have an update which may be helpful to others. Some of this is probably common sense to many of you already.... Here is my solution:

1. Array Push statements are very CPU expensive. Eliminating 1500 of these shaved 8 seconds off of my start up time

2. Non device font text is expensive to load. Removing all of my vector text and replacing it with bitmaps saved 10 seconds of start up time. This meant a major over haul to my program but there were benefits to the exercise besides just the start up time.

3. Turning off the compile to SWC option saved about 5 seconds of loading time. Normally I would have this on so I can get better code hinting inside of Flash Builder. But at the last step, turning it off saves lots of start up time. I discovered this because I have a full and a lite version of my app (lite version had the swc compile option off, was much faster than the full version which had swc compile on). For a few hours one day I was trying to figure out why the lite version was starting up 5 seconds faster than the full version even though the lite version had more assets.

Full version start up time:

version 1.3:

25.6 seconds

version 1.4:

2.5 seconds